Background: Occupational burnout among healthcare professionals has been associated with
compromised patient safety, although the strength and consistency of this relationship vary
according to professional groups, measurement methods and safety outcomes. To examine
the association between healthcare workforce burnout and patient safety outcomes, including
medical errors, adverse events, medication-related incidents and safety management
practices.
Methods: Freely accessible original observational studies reporting quantitative associations
between burnout and patient safety were identified through a preliminary literature search.
Study characteristics, burnout assessment methods, outcome definitions and reported effect
estimates were examined. A comprehensive systematic search and independent meta-analysis
remain to be completed.
Results: Verified primary studies demonstrated associations between burnout and selfreported medical errors. A United States study involving 6,586 physicians reported an
adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.22 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.79–2.76) for major medical
errors among physicians experiencing burnout. Another study involving 1,354 physicians
reported an OR of 1.48 (95% CI: 1.28–1.71) for self-reported errors per standard deviation
increase in burnout after adjustment for depression.
Conclusions: Available primary evidence supports an association between occupational
burnout and several patient safety indicators, particularly self-reported errors. However,
causal interpretation remains limited, and the relationship with independently verified patient
harm requires further investigation.